The Prisoner of Limnos, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★★ Lively, Imaginative, and Touching

(Fantasy Adventure; Five Gods) When Nikys asks for Penric’s help rescuing her mother from an imperial prison, he jumps at the chance to win her affections back. It’s obviously a trap, and he doesn’t know anything about the place, but he does have a demon to help him. (44,652 words; Time: 2h:28m)

Recommended By: 👍RHorton.r+1 👍RSR+2 (Q&A)

There isn’t enough backstory here to make it possible to begin the series with this novella. New readers could start with “Penric’s Mission,” although the most fun would be to start from the very beginning with “Penric’s Demon.”

The Physicians of Vilnoc, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★☆ A Satisfying Adventure in the Company of Great Characters

(Fantasy Adventure; Five Gods) Penric tries to deal with an epidemic, which stretches his powers to the breaking point. (42,806 words; Time: 2h:22m)

To fully appreciate this story, you need to have already read the seven before it, starting with “Penric’s Demon.” If you have not at least read the first two, this will likely be confusing.

Penric's Mission, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★☆ Great continuation of Penric and Desdemona's adventures

(High Fantasy; Five Gods) Penric's secret mission to Cedonia gets off to a bad start when he's arrested and thrown into a pit to die. (45,239 words; Time: 2h:30m)

Recommended By: 👍RHorton.r+2 👍RSR+1 (Q&A)

This review assumes you already read the previous two novellas, starting with Penric's Demon. This story is strong enough to stand alone, but it's much better if you read the other two first. Also, Bujold considers it a novella even though it's a bit over the limit.

Penric and the Shaman, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★★ Award-Worthy

(High Fantasy; Five Gods) Young Penric, a powerful but fledgling sorcerer, joins the hunt for a fugitive sorcerer, suspected of killing his own best friend. (37,700 words; Time: 2h:05m)

Recommended By: 🏆Hugo+2 👍RHorton.r+1 👍RSR+2 (Q&A)

Mira's Last Dance, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★☆ Funny, Tense, and Scandalous

(High Fantasy; Five Gods) Gravely injured, out of money, and pursued by the imperial government, Penric needs to get himself and his two companions out of the country, despite them being so recognizable. (28,183 words; Time: 1h:33m)

Although this story works well enough on its own, readers should start with Penric's Demon.

Penric's Fox, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(High Fantasy; Five Gods) Penric helps investigate the murder of another sorcerer, whose demon must still be somewhere near the scene of the crime. (37,395 words; Time: 2h:04m)

This story absolutely requires the reader to have already read "Penric and the Shaman."

The Orphans of Raspay, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★☆☆ Honorable Mention

(Fantasy Adventure; Five Gods) The pirates who captured Penric’s ship are probably going to regret it, but there are limits to how much destruction a conscientious sorcerer can do, particularly when he wants to help two young orphans. (43,146 words; Time: 2h:23m)

This story probably stands alone without the rest of the Penric and Desdemona stories, but you'll get more out of it if you start with Penric's Demon.

Penric's Demon, by Lois McMaster Bujold

[Single]

★★★★★ Award-Worthy

Penric, age 19, is accidentally possessed by a demon meant for someone else. Demons can be useful, but they are dangerous, and Penric has no idea what to do with one. (37,200 words; Time: 2h:04m)

Recommended By: 🏆Hugo+2 🏆Locus+2 👍RSR+2 (Q&A)

2015 Tor.com-Puppies Ratings

Here are reviews of short fiction from 2015 that came to RSR’s attention late. Two are non-free Tor.com novellas. Most are recommendations from the Rabid Puppies and Sad Puppies. The rest were other original stories from the anthology There Will Be War, Volume X. (We'd like to thank Jerry Pournelle for arranging a free copy for us.)

Because they are coming so late, we're keeping these reviews are separate from the 191 reviews of the most recommended stories in our 2016 Hugo Awards page. Otherwise no one will see them.

We're aware of the controversy associated with the Puppies, but we are trying to be even-handed and treat them like any other significant recommendation list.

Greg Hullender and Eric Wong
March 21, 2016

Update 3/21/16: Made changes to reflect the final Rabid Puppies list.

2017 Miscellaneous Stories

Cogito Ergo Sum by Mike Adamson  Time: 23m (ShortStory)  Issue: CompellingSF 06.07|17 (SF) A wealthy man leaves everything to his android companion, and she has to defend her claim to be human. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [1]

Fathom the Ocean, Deep and Still by David Bruns  Time: 20m (ShortStory)  Issue: CompellingSF 06.07|17 (Fantasy Science) Carlos is second-in-Command of a submersible city, and he has to cope with a sequence of failures that threatens to destroy them. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [1]  Recommended By: JMcGregor:4

Integration by John Eckelkamp1  Time: 06m (ShortStory)  Issue: CompellingSF 06.07|17 (AI SF) Zerith is a new AI, and he’s required to spend some time in a class of human students. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: JMcGregor:4

Museum Piece by J.D. Popham  Time: 19m (ShortStory)  Issue: CompellingSF 10 (SF Adventure) The last robot in the solar system uses his creator’s death as an excuse to escape from the museum he’s been imprisoned in for forty years. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: JMcGregor:4

Thinking Inside the Box by Michèle Laframboise  Time: 21m (ShortStory)  Issue: CompellingSF 06.07|17 (SF) A Loonguni travelling box can safely carry thousands of passengers, but the ever-changing architecture makes it uncomfortable for the first human passengers. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [2]  Recommended By: JMcGregor:4

What's a Few Years When You Get Money and Friends in High Places? by R.R. Angell  Time: 28m (Novelette)  Issue: CompellingSF 06.07|17 (Near-Future SF) A young body builder gets an offer from a rich old man to swap bodies. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: JMcGregor:4

The Sacrifice of the Hanged Monkey by Minsoo Kang  Time: 14m (ShortStory)  Issue: Fantastic Stories 06/28/17 (Epic Fantasy) In which we learn how the priests of the Hanged Monkey whose name was Bob resisted the Sublime Empire’s conquest of their realm. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]

Narrative Disorder by Malka Older  Time: 23m (ShortStory)  Issue: Fireside 05|2017 (Near-Future SF) Mishima is a spy who suffers from narrative disorder. This causes her to see everything that happens as if it were part of an organized story. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]

In Calabria by Peter S. Beagle  Time: 1h:46m (Novella)  Issue: In Calabria 2017 (Modern Fantasy) Claudio tends his farm alone down at the tip of the Italian peninsula until a young woman and a pregnant unicorn disturb his tranquility. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR:5

Mira's Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold  Time: 1h:33m (Novella)  Issue: Mira's Last Dance 2017 (High Fantasy; Five Gods) Gravely injured, out of money, and pursued by the imperial government, Penric needs to get himself and his two companions out of the country, despite them being so recognizable. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR:4

Penric's Fox by Lois McMaster Bujold  Time: 2h:04m (Novella)  Issue: Penric's Fox 2017 (High Fantasy; Five Gods) Penric helps investigate the murder of another sorcerer, whose demon must still be somewhere near the scene of the crime. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]

Mr. Thursday by Emily St. John Mandel  Time: 16m (ShortStory)  Issue: Slate.com 03/17/17 (Time Travel) Victor wants a Lamborghini, but a strange man offers him money not to buy it. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [2]

Signal by John Lanchester1  Time: 21m (ShortStory)  Issue: The New Yorker 04/03/17 (Horror) David takes his family for a weekend visit to the manor house of an old friend. He worries about a “tall man” who seems to be taking too much of an interest in his children. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]

The Prisoner of Limnos by Lois McMaster Bujold  Time: 2h:28m (Novella)  Issue: The Prisoner of Limnos 2017 (Fantasy Adventure; Five Gods) When Nikys asks for Penric’s help rescuing her mother from an imperial prison, he jumps at the chance to win her affections back. It’s obviously a trap, and he doesn’t know anything about the place, but he does have a demon Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR:5

The Strange Bird: A Borne Story by Jeff VanderMeer  Time: 1h:27m (Novella)  Issue: The Strange Bird 2017 (Post-Apocalypse SF Horror; Bourne) The Strange Bird escapes the ruins of the laboratory that created her, compelled by an inbuilt imperative to go southeast. But for what? Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]

The Evaluators by N.K. Jemisin  Time: 10m (ShortStory)  Issue: Wired 01|17 (SF Horror) A crew on planet Manka has disappeared, possibly eaten by the natives. We read the transcripts to try to decide what happened. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR:4

2016 Best SF/F Novellas

Return to 2016 Best SF/F Short Fiction

Score: 16 → 8-9 Recommendations

Score: 15

Score: 14 → 7-8 Recommendations

Score: 13

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle  Time: 1h:32m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 02/16/16 (Black Lovecraftian Horror) In 1924 Harlem, 20-year-old Tommy Tester plays bad jazz and runs minor scams. When an old man offers him $500 to play at his house, he knows there's a catch. It's just not what he expects. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 RHorton+2 JStrahan+2 Nebula+2 Hugo+2 Locus+2 Sturgeon+2

Score: 12 → 6-7 Recommendations

Score: 11

Score: 10 → 5-6 Recommendations

A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson  Time: 1h:54m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 10/25/16 (Fantasy/SF) Young Aqib has a bright future as a noble, but he meets an enchanting foreigner who makes him consider risking everything. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [2]  Recommended By: JStrahan+2 Nebula+2 Hugo+2 Locus+2 Sturgeon+2

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire  Time: 2h:09m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 04/05/16 (Portal Fiction; Wayward Children) Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children helps kids who passed through a portal to another world and returned unable to cope with this one. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 JStrahan+2 Nebula+2 Hugo+2 Locus+2

The Dream-Quest Of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson  Time: 1h:59m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 08/16/16 (Fantasy) Vellitt Boe teaches math at a university in the dreamworld. When her star student elopes with a dreamer from the real world, she goes after them. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: RHorton+2 JStrahan+2 Nebula+2 Hugo+2 Locus+2

The Iron Tactician by Alastair Reynolds  Time: 1h:36m (Novella)  Issue: The Iron Tactician 2016 (Military SF) Merlin's starship is one of the best, but it needs repairs, and a derelict starship may have what he needs. Or he can try a binary system where an interplanetary war has raged for centuries. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: GDozois+2 RHorton+2 NClarke+2 JStrahan+2 Locus+2

Score: 9

Score: 8 → 4-5 Recommendations

Score: 7

Score: 6 → 3-4 Recommendations

The Vanishing Kind by Lavie Tidhar  Time: 1h:00m (Novella)  Issue: F&SF 07.08|16 (Alternate History) In 1950s London after the Nazi's won WWII, a German man tries to find a girl he used to love in response to her call for help. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: GDozois+2 RHorton+2 JStrahan+2

This Census-Taker by China Miéville  Time: 1h:58m (Novella)  Issue: This Census-Taker 2016 (Post-Apocalypse) At age seven, the narrator thought he saw his father murder his mother. But did he? Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [2]  Recommended By: JStrahan+2 Hugo+2 Locus+2

Score: 5

Penric And The Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold  Time: 2h:05m (Novella)  Issue: Penric And The Shaman 2016 (High Fantasy; Five Gods) Young Penric, a powerful but fledgling sorcerer, joins the hunt for a fugitive sorcerer, suspected of killing his own best friend. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 RHorton+1 Hugo+2

Score: 4 → 2-3 Recommendations

Lazy Dog Out by Suzanne Palmer  Time: 1h:11m (Novella)  Issue: Asimov's 04.05|16 (SF) Khifi makes a good living as a pilot, but she used to be a homeless kid on the Tanduou docks. So she cares when she gets hints that something bad is happening--something involving kids, aliens, and more. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1 GDozois+1 RHorton+2 Readers+0

The Liar by John P. Murphy  Time: 1h:19m (Novella)  Issue: F&SF 03.04|16 (Horror) Middle-aged bachelor, Greg Kellog, has a secret knack for making small changes to reality by "lying." To stop a series of deaths, "small changes" may not be enough. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1 RHorton+1 Nebula+2

The Lost Child of Lychford by Paul Cornell  Time: 1h:32m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 11/22/16 (Horror; Lychford) Just before Christmas, the ghost of a little boy appears in the vicarage and disturbs the vicar and her two friends. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 Locus+2

What We Hold Onto by Jay O'Connell  Time: 1h:14m (Novella)  Issue: Asimov's 06|16 (SF) In 2066 a woman struggles over continuing life-support for her comatose mother and over what to do with the things she's leaving behind. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 SFRevu+1 GDozois+1 Readers+0

Where There is Nothing, There is God by David Erik Nelson  Time: 1h:14m (Novella)  Issue: Asimov's 12|16 (Time Travel) Paul finds a job selling drugs for the mafia in 1770s America. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 SFRevu+1 RHorton+1 Readers+0

Score: 3

Everybody Loves Charles by Bao Shu  Time: 1h:09m (Novella)  Issue: Clarkesworld 112 (SF) Charles Mann leads a wild, exciting life, which he shares with millions who join his "live-link." Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [1]  Recommended By: SFRevu+2 RHorton+1

Runtime by S.B. Divya  Time: 1h:16m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 05/17/16 (Transhuman SF) Marmeg's augments are illegal and hand-tweaked, but if she can win a race for augmented humans, she can earn enough money to become licensed and have a real future. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 Nebula+2

The Coward's Option by Adam-Troy Castro  Time: 1h:09m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 03|16 (SF; Andrea Cort) On Caithiriin, murderers get a choice between execution or anti-violence treatment. No human has had to make that choice before, but it's suspicious that the natives almost always prefer death. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 SFRevu+2 Readers+0

The Further Adventures of Mr. Costello by David Gerrold  Time: 1h:05m (Novella)  Issue: F&SF 09.10|16 (Planetary SF) Mr. Costello's crackpot moneymaking scheme promises entertainment to the rural community he sets down in, but the narrator senses a threat. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: GDozois+2 RHorton+1

The Journeyman: In The Great North Wood by Michael F. Flynn  Time: 1h:16m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 06|16 (SF; The Journeyman) Teodorq and his friend Sammi agree to organize security for a nobleman's archaeological expedition. They expect danger from the local tribes, but not from the artifacts themselves. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [5]  Recommended By: RSR+2 SFRevu+1 Readers+0

The Snow Of Jinyang by Zhang Ran  Time: 1h:11m (Novella)  Issue: Clarkesworld 117 (Time Travel) In 979 AD, the city of Jinyang stands on the brink of destruction, but someone seems to be trying to help it with technologies from the future. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 GDozois+1 RHorton+1

Wyatt Earp 2.0 by Wil McCarthy  Time: 1h:17m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 01.02|16 (SF) A violent Martian mining town reconstructs Wyatt Earp to try to restore order. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 SFRevu+1 RHorton+1 Readers+0

Score: 2 → 1-2 Recommendations

Chimera by Gu Shi  Time: 59m (Novella)  Issue: Clarkesworld 114 (Hard SF) Evan hasn't seen his wife in six years--ever since she left him and their newborn child. But their son needs special medical attention, and she's the world's expert. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [1]  Recommended By: CPayseur+2

Einstein's Shadow by Allen M. Steele  Time: 1h:04m (Novella)  Issue: Asimov's 01|16 (Alternate History) A private detective takes a job guarding Albert Einstein as he flees the Nazis on an ocean-liner-sized airplane. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1 GDozois+1 Readers+0

Fall by Arlan Andrews Sr.  Time: 59m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 07.08|16 (SF) Rist descends from the highlands and is captured by the lowlanders, who've never seen a human being as small as him. He struggles to learn their language and adapt to their ways Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [2]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1 RHorton+1

Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw  Time: 59m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 10/11/16 (Horror; Persons Non Grata) An 11-year-old asks a private eye to murder his stepdad, because "he's a monster--and you're a monster too." Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: Locus+2

Pirate Utopia by Bruce Sterling  Time: 00m (Novella)  Issue: Pirate Utopia 2016 Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review []  Recommended By: Locus+2

The Devil You Know by K.J. Parker  Time: 1h:19m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 03/01/16 (Fantasy) The philosopher Saloninus makes a deal with the Devil. Except he approaches the Devil, not the other way around, and the Devil is worried it's a trick. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: JStrahan+2

The Dispatcher by John Scalzi  Time: 00m (Novella)  Issue: The Dispatcher 2016 Not reviewed by Rocket Stack Rank. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review []  Recommended By: Locus+2

The Soul Behind The Face by Adam-Troy Castro  Time: 59m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 10|16 (SF; Andrea Cort) Draiken used to be a spy, but now he wants revenge on his former masters, and he has a complicated plan to enlist a former associate. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1 SFRevu+1 Readers+0

Score: 1

Coyote Song by Pat MacEwen  Time: 1h:02m (Novella)  Issue: F&SF 05.06|16 (Horror) At a crime scene, Yutu and her boss Nathan both suspect supernatural involvement. Even with her Native American magic and his voodoo, it will be a challenge. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1

Progress Report by Rajnar Vajra  Time: 1h:03m (Novella)  Issue: Analog 09|16 (SF) On Skipbrudden, each child must pass four tests to earn the right to become an adult. Arvie is a precocious kitten, which means he'll face the tests sooner than most. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: SFRevu+1 Readers+0

The Burning Light by Bradley P. Beaulieu and Rob Ziegler  Time: 1h:55m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 11/01/16 (Post Apocalypse) The Light is an addiction that afflicts telepaths. Colonel Chu hunts Zola, an addict who may hold the key to the problem. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1

The Dunsmuir Horror by David Gerrold  Time: 1h:00m (Novella)  Issue: F&SF 09.10|16 (Horror/Humor) From confinement in an institution the narrator describes the events that put him there. There's something weird about the Northwest. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: RHorton+1

The Forgotten Taste of Honey by Alexander Jablokov  Time: 59m (Novella)  Issue: Asimov's 10.11|16 (High Fantasy) The dead girl originally fled her homeland over something, and whatever it was, it's making it hard for Tromvi to return her body. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [3]  Recommended By: RHorton+1

The Ghoul King by Guy Haley  Time: 1h:50m (Novella)  Issue: Tor Novella 07/12/16 (Post Apocalypse; Dreaming Cities) A treacherous "angel" diverts Quinn from his goal to search the ruins of the Dreaming City of Columbus for the key to continuing his journey west. Other Reviews  RSR Mini-Review [4]  Recommended By: RSR+1